The Forest Of Vana Hini
by Inquisitive
Summary: When the newsies find themselves in a mystical relm full of magic and surprises, can they help the inhabitants before it's too late?
1. Een

The Forest of Vana Hini

Author: Inquisitive (Ink)

Rating: Pg-13 (for now)

Disclaimer: Newsies belong to Disney. The forest belongs to me. Everyone else will belong to themselves.

A/N1: Hi everyone!

SUMMARY: The Newsies find themselves in a mystical realm full of magic and surprises. They are sent to help defeat the evil powers which have a hold of this beautiful country. With the help of many friends they meet along the way. Will they be able to set things to rights before it's too late?

Chapter 1

Snitch looked wearily down the alley, sure he was seeing things. But no, there it was again. At the end of the alley stood a hooded figure all in white. Snitch stood transfixed for a long moment before starting forward. The figure beckoned, and the last thing Snitch saw was a blinding flash of light before everything went dark.

"Jack!" Blink yelled as he tripped his way up the lodging house stairs. Jack looked up from his discussion with Spot and Dave.

"Yeah Blink?"

"Have you seen Mush?" Blink asked frantically.

"Wasn't he selling with you?" Jack asked.

"Jack, Boots and Snipeshooter haven't come back yet." Specs said as he walked into the bunk room.

"Bumlets is late too." Snoddy added from his bunk. Jack looked around perplexed.

"Who else is missing?" Dave asked, taking charge of the situation.

"I haven't seen Snitch since this morning." Skittery said.

"And Race is usually back by now." Jack said, looking a little worried.

"Well, they can't all be missing." Spot said calmly.

"Spot's right." Dave put in. "There has to be a rational explanation for this."

"Alright Dave, whats your rational explanation for seven people going missing in the space of a few hours?" Pie Eater asked sarcastically.

"Mass cult suicide?" Itey suggested. Jake smacked him upside the head.

"Maybe we should go looking for them." Crutchy suggested.

"Good idea Crutchy." Jack said, taking charge once again. "I think we should split up into groups to cover more ground. Itey, Jake, Pie, Snoddy, and Blink, you go to the square. Spot, you, Dutchy, Specs, and Skittery can go look near the Brooklyn Bridge. And Dave, you, Les, and Crutchy come with me."

"What time should we meet back here?" Blink asked.

"No later than 9:30." Dave said. "I have to be home before my parents start to worry." Everyone agreed, and then broke off into groups and headed out in different directions.

"Dave, it's not that late." Jack insisted as they walked into the lodging house.

"Jack, it's nearly 10:00!" Dave said, exasperated.

"Well, maybe the others have had more luck than we did." Crutchy said, remaining ever cheerful. As they made their way up to the bunk room, they noticed that it was eerily quiet. Walking into the room, they discovered the reason.

It was deserted.

"Where could they be?" Crutchy asked.

"I don't know." Dave said, "But I have to get Les home before Mama has a fit."

"Alright." Jack agreed. "But we're walking you home, I don't want to risk losing you two as well." So the four boys stepped back into the deepening night.

Not a sound was heard anywhere, the three older boys were constantly looking over their shoulders as Les struggled to stay awake. He closed his eyes to try and rub the sleep out of them, when he opened them again, he saw a beautiful figure who seemed to be calling him, though he heard no sound. Les took off running towards the alley the figure had disappeared into.

"LES!" Dave yelled, realizing that his brother was no longer with them. He watched in horror as the little boy disappeared around the corner. Both Jack and Dave took off after him with Crutchy following as best he could. All three burst into the alley at the same time.

A bright light flashed, and all three boys fell into darkness.

Tbc...

A/N2: The next chapter will be better, and probably longer too!

Ink

ALRIGHT!

Their are many different beings. All of these creatures are important to the story, and most of the parts are about the same size.

**Forest Elves**- Live in the forest, and know them better than anyone. Excellent guides in unknown lands. Beautiful creatures with clear complexions and pointed ears, they reach average human height.

**Fairies**- Known for their beauty and their love of nature, fairies are friendly and peaceful creatures. They can reach heights comparable to an elf's, and have brightly colored wings.

**Pixies**- Tiny beautiful little creatures, with small brightly colored wings. Pixies do not reach more than one or two inches tall. But for their size, they contain great magic.

**Centaurs**- Half human, half horse, these creatures are strong, brave, and loyal. Know for their fighting skills, centaurs are good companions to have in a tough situation.

**Sirens**- The most beautiful creatures in all the land. Sirens live among the cliffs, and normally harbor evil purpose. Known for luring men to the sharp rocks and killing them. They are proud creatures, and when their way of life is threatened, they are strong fighters.

**Mermaids**- Friendly creatures with beautifully colored tails. They normally keep to themselves, but will make great guides if called upon. Able to move through any body of water, or survive on land for short periods of time.

**Sprites**- Mischievous, wild, and untamed race of magical beings. They are weather wielders, and each sprite controls a different natural phenomenon. They are either shimmering ivory or silky tan of skin. They are a bit shorter than humans, possess wild, smooth features, and are enticing to most eyes. Instead of wings, they have speeds up to ten times that of humans, making them very hard to catch.

**Gnomes**- Friendly little forest people, no more than five inches tall. They are a cheerful people, and they get along with all the creatures of the forest. They build their houses in the trunks of trees, and have the ability to converse with animals, making them very useful.

**Harpies**- Half woman, half eagle, they make excellent scouts. Beautiful and deadly, these creatures are feared and respected.

**Nymphs**- These creatures are known for their colorful skin, and their mischief. They enjoy pulling pranks and telling jokes. However in a tight situation they can be great problem solvers.

**Witte Wieven**- A profit dressed all in white. The witte wieven is the guardian of the forest, and plays a sizable part in most of the story. One of the largest parts, only one person can be the witte wieven, and they cannot have a newsie.

**Empress**- The peace keeper of the land, who has been kidnapped. Mentioned throughout the story, but only had a small part until the end.

**Enchantress**- She has taken the Empress prisoner, and is the ultimate evil in the story. Will have about the same sized part as the Empress, also a major character in the end.

I'll update again as soon as possible.

Ink

**FYI:** A new yahoo group has been started for fanfic authors to get to know each other better. Come check it out. The link is in my bio.


	2. Twee

Disclaimer: Alas, I shall never own the rights to Newsies... but I guess weaving them into complex story lines is almost as good. The forest belongs to me. Everyone else belongs to their creators respectively.

A/N1: Thank you everyone for responding! For future reference, shoutouts will always be at the bottom, simply because if I did them first, this entry would be ten pages long before the story even starts!

Chapter 2

The first thing Snitch became aware of, was a throbbing pain on the side of his head. The second thing he became aware of was that something, or someone was on top of him, and it/she/he was heavy. Quickly he brought his hand up to shield his eyes before daring to peel them open in the face of the glaring sun.

Sun? How long have I been... asleep? Unconscious?

Snitch bolted up, (as much as one can when one hundred and thirty or so pounds is pining you to the ground.) and took in his surroundings.

There were trees.

And grass.

"Mfrgg."

Snitch looked down.

And Dutchy.

"DUTCHY!" Snitch exclaimed, hugging his friend as though he were the answer to all of his prayers. Or at least trying to, it was somewhat difficult in their current position. Dutchy blinked up owlishly at Snitch.

"Where are we?" he asked. Snitch looked around again, as though the answer would present itself. Then he turned back to Dutchy and shrugged.

"I don't know." he said as Dutchy removed himself from his lap and stood up looking around now.

"How did we get here?" Dutchy asked again.

"Your guess is as good as mine." Snitch said, standing up and brushing the dirt off of his pants. "What's the last thing you remember?" He asked suddenly.

"Well, me and Specs were out, looking for you guys actually..."

The figure in white. Snitch thought to himself.

".... when we saw this person just standing there, she was dressed all in white and we thought that was strange..."

She beckoned without words. Snitch continued his own story in his head.

"..... she seemed to be calling to me, but she didn't make a sound..."

She went down the alley.

".... then she turned down this alley and we followed. Then there was this..."

"Flash of bright light." Snitch finished for him. Dutchy looked up sharply.

"It happened to you too." he said thoughtfully after a moment. Snitch nodded.

"Wait," Snitch said after thinking it over carefully. "Did you say Specs was with you?" He asked. Realization dawned on Dutchy's face, and he began to desperately scan the forest for signs of his best friend. "Don't worry Dutch, we'll find him." Snitch said, laying a hand on his shoulder. "A minute ago you said you were out looking for 'us', who's 'us'?"

"When we got back to the lodging house after we finished selling, there were seven people missing, including you." Dutchy told him.

"Do you think the same thing happened to them?" Snitch asked softly.

"I hope not." Dutchy said honestly. Snitch took a deep breath, and let it out slowly.

"Alright," he said decisively, "Let's go look for Specs." He headed off in a random direction with Dutchy following close behind.

"SPECS!" The boys took turns yelling as they peered as deeply as they could into the underbrush. So intent were they on not missing any sign of him, they completely missed the three large shadows that passed over their heads. That is, until the owners of the shadows touched down right in front of them. Their were three teenage girls, seemingly no older than themselves.

Are those wings? Snitch thought to himself as the two parties sized each other up.

All three girls gracefully folded their long, dark wings onto their backs.

Yup, those are wings. Snitch answered himself unnecessarily.

"Umm, hi?" Dutchy ventured weakly after a long moment of silence. The tallest stepped forward, her sharp brown eyes landing on Dutchy. Snitch stared in wonder as he got a better view of her wings. They were a beautiful medium brown, with a band of white across the middle of each. Next he noticed that there were three feathers woven into a braid in her short brown hair which was a few shades darker than her wings. Snitch then looked to the other girls, the shortest had midnight black wings, hazel-green eyes, and hair very similar to the first girls. The other girl's hair was such a dark shade of brown that it could almost be considered black, her wings were a similar shade of brown as the first girls, but with hints of mossy green making them uniquely her own. Her eyes, which were the same startlingly dark shade as her hair, were fixed on Snitch, making him look away quickly. All three were dressed in loose fitting, earthy green dresses.

"What is your business here?" The girl who had stepped forward demanded suddenly, snapping Snitch out of his contemplation.

"We're lost." Dutchy said by way of explanation.

"Who are you?" She asked.

"My name's Dutchy, and this is Snitch." Dutchy said gesturing in Snitch's general direction.

"How did you get this far into the forest without being detected?"

Dutchy faltered, not knowing how to explain.

"We don't know." Snitch supplied. "But we didn't mean to."

The girl rolled her eyes.

"Come on Ginny." The shortest girl said, "I do not sense a lie, and their is no menace in their hearts."

"What do you want to do Ducky?" Ginny said looking over her shoulder at the girl who had spoken.

"Let's at least bring them somewhere safer." Ducky insisted. "Look, that one's bleeding, they may need our help."

Snitch reached up and gingerly touched the side of his head, which had hurt ever since he woke up. He looked at his fingers and saw that he was indeed bleeding.

"Buttons?" Ginny said, looking at the third girl. Buttons nodded.

"It would be better to question them there." She said.

"Follow us." Ginny commanded, with a definite 'or else' implied. The boys followed as best they could, and as they walked Dutchy glanced worriedly at the cut on Snitch's head.

"Hey Snitch," he whispered, "Are you.....?"

Okay. Don't panic. Kid Blink thought to himself as he continued his descent into the icy depths. There was a solid wall of water all around him, and he no longer knew which way was up. His lungs were screaming, burning, desperate for air.

This is how I'm going to die.

Just as he thought that, Blink felt something grab his arm. Suddenly their were lips pressed against his own, and his lungs filled as his rescuer breathed for him. After the initial shock wore off, Blink became aware of the fact that they were going up.

As soon as they broke the surface, Blink dragged gulps of air into his lungs, coughing and spitting up water. He furiously scrubbed the water off of his face, and opened his eye. There, before him in the water, was a girl. Her emerald green eyes shone from beneath her hair which had fallen into her face. Then Blink actually looked at her hair, and did a double take. Her hair, which was pooled around her shoulders, was all different shades of green, with black streaks mixed in.

"Are you okay?" She asked softly, looking almost shy.

"I think so." He said after he regained his breath. "Who are you?"

"My name is Imagine." She said. "What's your name?"

"My friends call me Kid Blink, or just Blink." He answered.

"It's a pleasure meeting you Blink, come, we must get you to more shallow waters." She turned and her shimmering black tail flipped up out of the water, flashing vibrant green where the sun caught it. Blink almost forgot to keep treading water in his shock.

"What are you?" He asked, hoping he didn't sound offensive.

"I am a mermaid," She explained, "Come with me and you can meet my friends."

"Do they all look like you?" Blink asked, privately cursing his big mouth.

"They are all mermaids yes." She said, grabbing his hand and guiding him through the water.

"Oh, and Imagine?" Blink asked.

"Hmm?"

"Thank......."

You would think that getting out of the city would make me happy. Pie Eater thought to himself as he walked along. But at least there are other people in the city, I haven't seen a soul since I woke up.

Coming out of the dense trees, he saw something he had never laid eyes on before.

The ocean.

The crystal blue broken steadily by lazy waves. A flash of bright purple startled him.

Great, now I'm seeing things. But there it was again, closer now, it looked like a fin, but who'd ever heard of a purple fish?

He started walking cautiously down the beach. Then, up from beneath the salty spray, came a girl, her burgundy hair gleaming in the afternoon sun.

"Excuse me, Miss?" He called, picking up his pace to a run. The girl's deep brown eyes widened in surprise, and she quickly ducked behind a nearby rock. "Please wait, don't go." Pie pleaded. "I won't hurt you!"

She hesitantly came back out where he could see her.

"Hi," He said smiling gently. "I'm Pie Eater."

"I am Chameleon." She said coming a bit closer.

"Do you live around here?" Pie asked, his eyes trained on her tail, but trying to be polite enough not to mention it.

"Yes," She replied, "I live in the lagoon, it's down the beach a little ways." She studied him for a minute. "Are you okay?" She asked finally.

"Well no, not really," He answered. "I'm sort of lost, I don't have a clue where I am or how to get back to where I was."

"That's horrible!" Chameleon exclaimed. "Follow me, we will go talk to Cricket, she will know what to do."

A/N2: Alright, here's the deal, I have over 50 characters, not including newsies. Therefore, it is going to take a long time to get to everyone, but I promise I will! Also, if your a mermaid and you weren't in this chapter, worry not! I didn't get to everyone 'cause I really wanted to get this chapter up. Now in case it confused anyone, when POV changes, what would have been the last word in the last sentence, is the first word of the new sentence. I honestly don't think that explanation made any sense, but hey, I tried. God, you guys are scaring me, everyone has such high expectations for this story, I hope it lives up to them. It should get better once I finish introducing everyone. The next chapter will be out as soon as I find time to write it. Probably a few days. Thank you all again!

Ink

Shoutouts!

(sorry these aren't more detailed)

Cassies-Grandma

Thumbsucker Snitch

Matchin' Laces

Coin

Erin Go Bragh

Checkmate

SpecsGlasses

geometrygal

Buttons14

Cerridwen4 Thank you!

Dimonah Tralon

Ccatt

skyonfireagain I don't have your profile! Could you please email it to me? If you didn't get my email please tell me and I'll send it again.

Moonlights Sundance

Madison Square

Lady of Tir Na Nog

Emotions

LegallyRed

Strawberri Shake

Trolley

Oxymoronic Alliteration

uninvisible

Written Sparks

SparkS Sorry, I already have a character named Cricket.

CiCi

Padfootismyhero

Sita-chan

Shooter O'Brien I don't have your profile! Could you please email it to me? If you didn't get my email please tell me and I'll send it again.

Dreamer Conlon

Ireland O'Reily

Matchin' Laces (again) : )

Vinnie Monfredo

shinigami nanoda I don't have your profile! Could you please email it to me? If you didn't get my email please tell me and I'll send it again.

Matchin' Laces (another again) If I need these characters I'll email you. For now I think I have enough. Thanks so much!

Glitz Kelly

If I missed anyone I'm really sorry! I hope you liked the chapter. Please review!

Ink


	3. Drie

Disclaimer: Alas, I shall never own the rights to Newsies....... but I guess weaving them into complex story lines is almost as good. The forest belongs to me. Everyone else belongs to their creators respectively.

A/N1: Sorry I didn't make it clear, but Ducky, Buttons, and Ginny are Harpies. I hope that clears things up! Now, please sit back, relax, and enjoy the newest installment.

Chapter 3

Do I sit here and wait for someone to find me, or should I go look for help? Mush asked himself as he stared wide eyed at his surroundings. Well, what are the chances I'll be found out here in the middle of nowhere? By something that doesn't want to eat you? Not very good. You should probably start moving. Mush agreed with himself, and got to his feet.

He walked until he came to an open meadow, here he stopped and listened. He could hear a very peculiar sound, it was very soft, but no doubt there. It sounded a bit like a mix between the purr and the growl of a cat. Mush looked around, but he saw nothing suspicious. In fact the only other thing he could see was a patch of orange and black flowers a few feet away surrounded by a rather large area which was just grass.

Just then, something flew past his head. It was a dragonfly.

Wow. Mush thought. I've never seen a black and white striped bug before. He watched it as it flew lazy circles around the field, it's wings flashing brightly in the sun. Suddenly the sound grew louder and, as the insect flew over the stand of flowers, one stretched forward and its petals pulled back, revealing a very sharp looking set of fangs. It snatched the bug out of midair, and with a sickening crunch, devoured it whole.

Mush took an involuntary step backward, eyes wide. He thought about the girls who sold flowers on the street corners back home, and finally the name came to him.

"Tiger lilies." He said to himself, laughing a little shakily as he backed away, eyes never leaving the stand of flowers until he came to a new path. This he followed more cautiously, giving the meadow a wide berth.

"Please God," He prayed quietly, "If you let me live through this, I will never cheat another customer ever again, no matter.....!"

"WHAT THE HELL!" Spot was beginning to seriously dislike forests. Not that he had ever had much experience with them before. But currently, it was thorns in particular which had pushed him into his current mood. As if waking up in a strange place wasn't bad enough, he had come into consciousness just in time to find himself in the middle of a bramble patch.

After carefully picking his way out of that mess, and acquiring a few dozen scratches for his trouble, he had been a bit irritated, and rightfully so. But as his luck would have it, not ten minutes later he had come upon a small hedge of bushes.

In his defense, Spot had never seen a rose bush before in his life. Coming out on the other side, Spot's pants were sporting several holes which the manufacturers had never intended, and Spot himself was bleeding in several places. Not to mention the angry red welts which now ran the length of both of his arms and any other bare patch of skin. Currently, Spot was sitting waist deep in a burr patch, having lost his footing on a small hill, and tumbled down to the bottom.

What is the purpose of this stupid plant anyway? Spot asked himself as he picked futilely at the small toothsome balls of thorny hooks which were now clinging to every available surface of Spot's person.

So Spot sat for quite a while, pulling off the evil burrs, and using his extensive vocabulary, living next to the Brooklyn docks has its advantages, to his advantage. It was in the middle of one pointedly creative use of several choice words strung together, that he heard it.

So soft at first, that it seemed a mere hint of a tune on the wind.

I've never heard anything so beautiful. Spot thought to himself as he got to his feet, completely forgetting his previous misadventures. I have to find the owner of that voice.

He moved slowly, as though through a dream. A deep calm settled in his head, and the only thought that mattered was that which was centered on discovering what magnificent creature could produce such a melody.

Mush hears it too. He thought off handedly as he watched Mush come out onto the path he was following a few paces ahead of him.

The fact that he ought to be curious, agog, and amazed by Mush's presence out here in the forest never even crossed his mind.

They drew ever closer to the source, until, finally, the haunting lyrics became intelligible.

_Draw near, closer now_

_Into my painted wings_

_What man can resist_

_When the siren sings_

_Let not your ears be deadened_

_By the ocean's roar_

_Just hear my sweet lament_

_And I'll ask no more_

_Give up your will to me!_

_You've traveled far, my love_

_And the road's been cruel_

_Come rest with me a while_

_Why act like a fool_

_For I will guide you_

_To my welcome shore_

_So give you're soul to me_

_When you hear the call_

_Upon this crimson rock_

_Your body lying still_

_And from your broken veins_

_I will drink my fill_

_Your love has given me_

_Meaning to my song_

_Within my empty heart_

_Is where your blood belongs._

The twisted web of words was woven thickly around the boy's thoughts. Neither could grasp the meaning of the words, and both felt a yearning deep within their souls to follow the originators of this melody to what ever end. Spot could not deny that a more captivating harmony had never graced his hearing.

"That must be what angels sound like." He whispered out loud, though his voice sounded distant, and somehow fragmented, as though it had hit a prism on its way out from between his lips.

Closer still the two boys drifted, until finally the screen of trees gave way and they were standing on bare rock. There before them were three creatures of unequivocal beauty. They sang together, their voices blending and folding over one another. Each elegantly beckoning with pale hands and slender fingers.

The tallest, though not by much, was standing to the far left. Closest to the cliff's edge and the ocean below. Her piercing blue-gray eyes held Spot's gaze, and he was helpless to break the contact. Her curly red hair swayed with the slight breeze. Next to her stood a girl of smaller stature, but no less beautiful. Her wavy black hair fell softly to the middle of her back, a striking contrast to her eyes. Her steely bright purple gaze was now holding Mush captive. The girl closest to them seemed to be the eldest. Her dark brown hair fluttered in the breeze as her penetrating gaze caressed first one boy and then the other.

Her green eyes burned with some inner flame as she drew an intricately carved bone-handled dagger from a sheath, which was previously concealed in the folds of her skirt. Each girl wore a similar outfit, loose, flowing layers of blue and gray. She drew ever closer, her gaze now fixed upon Spot, none of the trio had yet abandoned their enchanting melody.

Spot stood paralyzed, not having the strength of will, nor the desire to move. Hypnotized as he was, thoughts of his own mortality were furthest from his mind. The girl circled him until she stood directly behind him. Gently she placed the first two fingers of her left hand under his chin, and tipped it up, revealing a pale column of bare throat.

With her other hand, she brought up the knife, placing it against the pulse visibly fluttering in his throat. She slowly added pressure, prolonging the actual event as long as possible. As the razor sharp point bit into his neck, a drop of blood, crimson in stark contrast to the glinting silver, welled in the hollow, and slowly slipped down his neck kissing his collarbone before disappearing from sight beneath the collar of his shirt.

"You would do well to stay your hand." Came a voice from just behind them.

The siren's song was cut short, and the knife fell to the stone with a clatter. All three sirens hissed, barring their teeth, revealing long sharp fangs. Both boys came to at once, and shook their heads as if to clear them of confusing dreams only vaguely remembered.

What just happened? Spot thought, bringing a shaking hand to his neck which burned and stung fiercely. He brought his fingers away only to find them smeared with scarlet. Mush rushed over to him just as his legs refused to support him any longer and realization set in. Another three seconds, and I would have been dead.

"You have no power over us Emotions." The girl who had dropped the dagger spat.

"I seem to recall a representative of your race attending the council which asked my advice and begged for my help. You Milkshake would so readily destroy those who I have acquired to help you defeat your enemies?" Emotions asked angrily. Milkshake's green eyes flashed hatred.

Spot turned for the first time, beholding the girl who was his savior.

I've seen her before. Was the first thought to blaze a path across his mind. Then he got his first real look at the figure in white. Though her face was young, her eyes were wise beyond their years. He could catch small glimpses of auburn hair, but most of it was hidden by a white hood. She was wearing many layers of white robes, with a white cloak wrapped around her shoulders. She was purity. She was light. She was good. She was hope. She was Emotions, the Witte Wieven, the most powerful being in the land.

"We asked you for warriors!" Milkshake growled.

"And there you have them." Emotions stated with deadly calm.

"They are male, and they are young! What good are they to us?" Milkshake shouted.

"They will prove their worth in time, but do what you will." Emotions said, "If you do choose to kill them, know this; any allegiance you held with me will be broken, you will have the friendship of no other creature in this forest, you will be forsaken." With that she turned and disappeared into the dense woods.

Okay, being left unsupervised with the murderous broad was not exactly how I wanted that to go. Spot thought as he felt their combined gazes raking over Mush and himself.

"Coin," Milkshake called after a minute. The girl with the purple eyes looked up. "You are on guard, no one comes into our territory until this is straitened out."

"As you wish." Coin said, heading off to the border.

"Red?" Milkshake called again.

"Yeah?" The redhead answered.

"Will you see if you can find us something to eat?"

"Right away." Red replied before setting out to find new prey. Milkshake bent and picked up the dagger.

"As for you two." She said, pointing the knife in their direction. "If you take one step off of this rock, I will hunt you down and kill you slowly. Do you understand?" Both boys nodded. "Good, and trust me, if you test me, you'll regret......"

It really is a beautiful place. Pie Eater thought as Chameleon led him down the beach. Coming around the final bend, Pie laid eyes on a familiar face.

"Blink!" He shouted happily. Blink looked up, startled.

"Pie!" He answered with equal enthusiasm and surprise. Pie Eater raced forward and embraced his friend tightly, nearly toppling them both back into the shimmering water.

"What happened to you?" Pie asked, pulling away and looking down at his now damp shirt.

"I don't really know." Blink answered. "I woke up and I was underwater."

"Are you all right, God, I never thought I'd see anybody ever again."

"I'm fine now, Pie, this is Imagine." He inclined his head toward the girl he had been talking to. "She saved my life."

"It's a pleasure to meet you miss." Pie said. "This is Chameleon, she said that she and her friends might be able to help me... well, us now." Blink tipped his hat to the girl.

From the edge of the cove, there was a splash, and a flash of blue which shimmered magenta and green in the light.

"That's Tig." Imagine said as the new comer swam up, her black hair flowing out behind her, and her blue eyes alight with curiosity.

"Hi." She said brightly as she reached the shore where the boys were currently occupying a couple of flat rocks.

"Hello." They returned amiably.

"Tig, this boy is Kid Blink, and the other is Pie Eater." Chameleon said, pointing to each boy in turn.

"Welcome to our home." Tig said, smiling sweetly.

"Thank you." Blink said.

"Cricket!" Tig welcomed her friend, as a fourth girl entered the pool.

She has no hair. Was the first thought to cross Pie's mind. She is absolutely beautiful. Was the second. The obvious lack of hair, drew attention to her eyes which were sharp and intelligent. The deep green of her irises blended into the soft brown of her pupils, giving her eyes an eerie quality. Also quite noticeable, was the tattoo on the right side of her head. Beautiful and ornate, the Celtic cross stained her skin. Her fin as she swam, flashed from an uninteresting sea green to bright glittering silver in the sun.

"They need our help." Imagine said by way of explanation. Cricket looked over both boys for a long moment before nodding.

"We will do what we can to help you." She said quietly. "But perhaps you can aid us as well."

A/N2: If anyone has a problem with the speech patterns of their character, please tell me and I'll try to tone it down a bit. Right now I'm simply writing the characters the way they want to be written. Once again, the next chapter will be out as soon as I find enough time to write it. Please review!

P.S. The song "Song of Siren" belongs to Inkubus Sukkubus.

Shoutouts!

(longer this time!)

**Shinigami nanada****- I NEED FLUKE'S PROFILE! If you did not get my email please review or email me and tell me. If I haven't heard from you by my next chapter then I can't use her! So PLEASE contact me!**

**Lady of Tir Na Nog**- I've read the one's where they cram them all in too, and I promised myself that if I ever did a casting call I wouldn't do that. Thanks for the review, and the complements : )

**geometrygal**- It is a lot. I honestly didn't expect that big of a response. Hehe, that was my favorite line too. God I love Snitch. Thanks for the review!

**Thumbsucker Snitch**- Yay, you loved it! And Yay, I get hearts and lots of sugar! Lol, thanks for reviewing.

**Dimonah Tralon**- Thank you very much, and thanks for the review!

**Trolley**- Thank you so much, and thanks for the review!

**SpecsGlasses**- You are the best reviewer ever! You make me so happy. And if you were excited about your name, you must be very happy now! Your in the chapter! Lol. Sorry your part's not big yet. Thanks for reviewing!

**CiCi**- You are in this chapter, I made sure! Thanks for the review.

**Coin**- Yay! Socks are being rocked, my life goal is complete : ) They're harpies, sorry I didn't make that clear, I tend to write around midnight, and things like that slip. Thanks for the review!

**Strawberri Shake**- Yup, they're harpies, sorry I didn't make that clear. Thanks for the luck, I'm gonna need it, lol, and thanks for reviewing!

**Sita-chan**- Hehe, that was my favorite line too! It was a terrific review! In fact it made my day. Thank you for reviewing.

**Written Sparks**- Thank you very much for the complements, and thanks for reviewing!

**C.M. Higgins**- Thank you, I hope you liked this chapter too. Thanks for the review!

**Oxymoronic Alliteration**- Yay! I get a cookie, much sugar for me! Lol. I hope you liked this chapter. Thanks for reviewing.

**Legallyred**- Thank you very much, and thanks for the review!

**Checkmate**- Thank you so much! Yes, there will be adventures abound.... eventually, lol. Thanks for reviewing!

**Emotions**- (Takes several deep breaths) : ) Thanks! And thank you for reviewing.

**Shooter O'Brien**- I got your profile, all's well in the universe : ) Thanks for reviewing!

**Ccatt**- Thank you so much, I was actually worried about what people would think of the way they talked. Thanks for the review!

**Matchin' Laces**- Thank you very much, and thanks for the review!

**Cassies-Grandma**- Don't worry, I'll use Smarty soon! Thanks for the review!

**Moonlights Sundance**- Yay, I got a cookie! Sugar makes me happy : ) Thank you so much for the complements, and thanks for the review!

**uninvisible**- No, I've never read Tamorah Pierce, I usually don't really like fantasy, but my best friend loves her stuff. Thanks for the review!

**Buttons14**- Don't worry, I forgive you. After all, you took the time to review! Don't worry I'll get around to Les soon. Thanks for reviewing!

**SparkS**- Lol, yeah, I like Blink too. He _is_ really easy to pair off. Thanks for the review!


	4. Vier

Disclaimer: Alas, I shall never own the rights to Newsies....... but I guess weaving them into complex story lines is almost as good. The forest belongs to me. Everyone else belongs to their creators respectively.

A/N1: Sorry for the delay. No time to write. But never fear, this story is still alive and kicking.

Chapter 4

Being lost in an environment you are unfamiliar with has its disadvantages. For instance, if you were lost in the middle of a forest, after spending your entire life in the city, you would probably be rather distracted.

Which is why it was a good five minutes before Snoddy realized his hat was missing.

"Swifty?" He asked, looking at the boy walking along slightly ahead of him.

"Yeah?" Swifty replied, turning back, and nearly decapitating himself on a branch in the process.

"Did you take my hat?" Snoddy asked, confused. Swifty looked at him incredulously.

"Why would I take your hat Snoody?"

_Okay, I scratched my head when we passed the rock with orange moss growing on it, and my hat was there. _Snoddy thought to himself. He looked back at Swifty.

"Are you sure you didn't take it?" He asked.

"I'm positive Snoody. I. Did. Not. Take. Your. Hat. You must have lost it."

_Was that a giggle?_ Snoody looked up into the trees, but saw nothing. _What would be giggling in a tree you idiot. _He admonished himself. Swifty turned to ask which way they should go next, and stopped entirely giving Snoddy a weird look.

"What?" Snoody snapped irritably.

"Your hat is on your head." Swifty informed him.

_I think I would know if my hat was on my head. _Snoody thought reaching up.

"It's back!" He exclaimed, pulling it off his head and staring at it in amazement.

"Snoddy are you sure you didn't hit your head?" Swifty asked with general concern.

"It was really gone, I swear!" Snoddy insisted.

"Okay." Swifty agreed uncertainly.

When Snoddy finally tore his eyes away from his hat some minutes later, he looked up at Swifty and took a step back in surprise. There, hanging upside down off of a branch, was a girl.

_Well, sort of._ Snoddy amended to himself. Under the bright red cloth covering her, her skin was so pale it was an ivory color. Her hair, which was currently hanging strait down, was dark but was streaked with fuchsia and seemed to sparkle as it swayed back and forth. Her bright blue eyes, which were currently sparkling with mischief, were fixed on her new target.

Swifty's hat.

"Swifty DUCK!" Snoody shouted, the first thing that came to mind.

Swifty, ignoring the command, whipped around to ask Snoody what on earth, or where ever they were, he was talking about. What resulted was a dull crack and two corresponding thuds.

"Ow." Swifty said, as he sat up rubbing his head. Snoody rushed over and offered the girl his hand.

"Are you alright miss?" He asked. Swifty glared at his back, feeling very ignored. The girl took Snoddy's proffered hand, her own slender fingers looking ghostly against his own tanned skin, and he helped her to her feet.

"My name is Trolley." She said, pouting ever so slightly at having her game ruined.

"I'm Snoddy, and that's Swifty." Snoddy told her as Swifty got to his feet.

"Now that we know _who_ you are," Swifty said. "_What_ are you? If you don't mind my asking."

"You mean to tell me you've not seen a nymph before?" She asked.

"Uh.... we're not from around here." Snoddy supplied.

"In fact, we're rather lost." Swifty added.

"To roam parts of the forest you are unfamiliar with is very dangerous, especially after nightfall." She said, then she paused as though making a difficult decision. "Come." She said finally. "De may not be happy about this, but I will not leave you to your deaths."

Swifty and Snoddy looked at each other, unsure of what they should do.

"Where exactly are we going?" Swifty queried.

"And who is De?" Snoddy questioned.

"We are going to my home, it is not far from this place. And as for De, he is... our prince." She replied, rolling her eyes and heading off without waiting to see if the boys would follow. Swifty looked at Snoddy who shrugged.

Both boys quickly darted off into the woods after her.

Itey, having little else to do after waking in a place, which was unlike anything he was familiar with, was doing what was, to him at least, the only logical thing to do in such a situation. He was wandering around aimlessly and muttering to himself.

"Stupid trees, stupid grass, stupid dirt, stupid vine, stupid two headed periwinkle snake, stupid leaves, stupid pine cone, stupid.... LES!!!" He shouted, running up to the younger boy and latching onto him in a death grip.

"Itey... need..... air!.... Can't.... breath...." Les finally managed to gasp.

Itey lessened his grip enough to allow the minimum lung expansion necessary to keep his young friend alive.

"Where were you? How did you get here? Where is everyone else? How did you find me? Why are you so short?" Itey questioned rapid fire.

Les, being overwhelmed by so many questions, and still not having quite enough air as he was still confined within the depths of Itey's death grip, just shrugged.

Suddenly Itey let go an looked back the way he had come. Les fell to the ground panting for breath.

"Was that snake periwinkle?" He asked the forest in general. Les stared at him, now completely perplexed. Itey turned back around and looked at the spot Les had been occupying only moments before, then he looked down.

"What are you doing on the ground?" He asked. Les chose to ignore that question as he stood up again, this time safely out of death grip range.

"Did you hear that?" Les asked, looking sharply to the right.

"Hear what?" Itey asked.

"Come on." Les said, leading the way. In the distance Itey thought he saw a brief flash of light, then another.

"We're not chasing fireflies are we?" He prodded Les in the back.

"They're too big to be fireflies." Les whispered.

"They don't look that big." Itey whispered back.

"They're sill far away." Les said quietly as they moved through the underbrush.

Ten minutes later the boys came to a curtain of Ivy, what they saw when they pushed through, took they're breath away. Hundreds of butterflies, of every color, were flying at once. Dodging and ducking over and around one another, creating a rainbow of moving color.

"Wow!" Les exclaimed after a moment of stunned silence. He cupped his hands together and reached out to catch one. Itey stood glued to the spot, he had seen something flying which certainly wasn't a butterfly.

"I caught one!" Les called excitedly as he rushed back to Itey's side. Slowly he opened his hands a crack, and peeked in. "Itey." He said in a voice laced with awe. "I think I caught Tinkerbell." This caught Itey's attention.

"WHAT!?!?"

Les opened his hands. There, standing on his palm, and glowing pinkish red, was a slightly altered replica of the fictional pixie. Standing a mere one and a half inches tall, the creature had soft pink hair cut into a bob, and crimson eyes. She was dressed in a white rose petal skirt with a beautiful lilac tube top made of caterpillar silk. Her most interesting features however, were the iridescent wings adorning her back, they flashed hints of blue, purple, and pink as they fluttered in annoyance. She was tapping one bare foot on Les' palm.

"I'm sorry Ma'am." Les said contritely. "I didn't hurt you did I?"

"Berry! Are you all right?" A small voice called as a second girl landed in Les' hands. Berry nodded, the red glow fading slowly. "You ought to be more careful, you could kill someone being so reckless." The girl said, turning her attention to Les.

"I didn't mean to." He said pitifully. "I just wanted to catch a butterfly."

Itey bent down a little, taking a closer look at the tiny figure. She was about half an inch taller than Berry, with blond hair, sky blue eyes, and magenta wings folded neatly onto her back. Her dress was a wispy, beautiful, light blue outfit which suited her perfectly. Suddenly, two more figures came to rest on Les, who by now was becoming rather crowded.

"What's going on?" Asked a girl with dark purple hair, ice blue eyes, and a sky blue dress. She was the shortest at one inch even, and her wings were a fantastic lime green.

"Is everyone all right?" Asked the second girl whose violet eyes flashed silver as she surveyed the scene. Her violet hair was complimented by her dress which was a deep plum color. She was a little more than a quarter inch taller than Berry, and her iridescent wings were flashing lavender and fluttering nervously.

"Everyone's fine." The first girl informed the new comers. "The child simply mistook Berry for a butterfly."

"My name is Les." Les told her, not appreciating being called a child.

"It's a pleasure to meet you." Said the violet haired girl, who was currently taking up residence on his shoulder. The blond spoke up once again.

"I'm Lullaby, on your shoulder is Glitz, over there is Aqua." She pointed to the girl with lime green wings. "And you know Berry."

"I'm Itey." Itey supplied when she looked at him inquiringly. "Are you really pixies?"

"Yes." Aqua answered, "But what are you?"

"I'm a newsie." Itey said proudly.

"I've never heard of a newsie before." Glitz mused. "Are you anything like elves?"

"Um... I don't think so." Itey said.

"How did you find this place?" Lullaby asked.

"We didn't know where we were." Itey answered, "So when we saw the lights, and Les heard a noise, we followed them. We were hoping to find someone who could help us find our way home."

"We'd love to help!" Aqua piped up.

"But first we must fulfill the vow we made to Emotions." Lullaby reminded her.

"If we help you do that, will you help us?" Les asked, anxious to help these creatures to make up for his mistake.

"You would help us?" Glitz asked.

"Sure," Itey said, "We'll do whatever we can."

A/N2: Peter Pan was actually published in 1911, but please pretend that it was sooner for the sake of that one line in the story. Sorry it's not longer, this chapter took forever to write.

Shoutouts!

(short today, sorry)

Dimonah Tralon

C.M. Higgins

LegallyRed

CiCi

Lady of Tir Na Nog

Written Sparks

Lyra

Dreamer Conlon

Sita-chan

uninvisible

SpecsGlasses Whoo! I get flowers, llamas, and a shrine! Your the best!

Checkmate

Buttons14

Coin

Madison Square

geometrygal

Cassies-Grandma


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